While not among Spain‘s top-tier cities as a visitor destination, the coastal city of Valencia certainly warranted a stop-over given that our planned route towards Madrid took us right through the area.
The old part of the city is compact and easy to navigate. The days we spent sightseeing seemed to be particularly busy with good-sized crowds at most attractions, while still not being overly chaotic. The city has an interesting maritime history, and several excellent museums – we took in the contemporary Museum of Modern Art, and Museu de Bellas Artes. The latter was definitely the pic of the two and it contained many works of Spanish and other masters, considered one of the best of its kind in all of Spain. Thoroughly enjoyable !
Our first museum stop, Valencia’s Modern Art museum. Quite the eclectic offerings here, we preferred the Museu des Bellas Artes not far away. Museu Bellas Artes, Valencia. Impressive !One of its most well known works, St. John the Baptist, by El Greco.Diego Velazquez, self portrait.
Valencia contains the usual examples of typical Spanish historic buildings, but in addition has something that not every Spanish city contains – an active bull fighting ring, right in the heart of downtown. Sadly, we could not get inside the arena, it being locked when we were there. Too bad, because it’s something we’ve not seen anywhere else in the world and would have enjoyed the opportunity.
Plaza de Toros de Valencia.Perhaps next time we are in town !Valencia has some great downtown markets.Cathedral of Valencia.The fountains of Plaza del Ayuntamiento.Serranos towers, one of 12 gates which formed part of the ancient city wall, built in the 14th century.
Much of the rest of our time in Valencia was spent running around handling various administrative things that we have to deal with from time to time, a few appointments here and there, medical check ups, some shopping, and an ultimately successful search for some minor parts we may need for the vehicle in future. Valencia is just the kind of city that’s big enough to find/do all those things and yet small enough to navigate fairly easily. Would not fancy doing it in Madrid or Barcelona !
Known for its shopping, we took full advantage while in Valencia.Among the miscellaneous tasks that filled our time in Valencia, a thorough van clean. Sometimes having as much space as we do means we collect a lot of crap – time to shed some of it ! Here at the excellent Valencia Camper Park, one of the best campgrounds we’ve stayed at.Of course, this helped ! Complete with pool !Roaming around we find some great spots for lunch breaks or just a cup of tea. Here parked up beside a castle on the way to Madrid.
Next on our itinerary will be the nations capital, Madrid, but since there is much to see in that city of 3.5m, I’ll save that for now.
On arrival in Madrid we were fortunate to get into to the municipal camper park in Rivas, a small city on the edge of Madrid and an easy Metro ride into the centre. Over 30 spots are provided to self contained van visitors, free of charge. Fresh water and dumping facilities all included. It’s been amazing how many times we’ve been able to find these in Europe. Rare where we live !Essentially, the truth !
Seldom does it happen that we almost simultaneously meet up with two sets of friends on the road but so it was this past week. First, the Hunter family ( whose path we knew we would inevitably cross), in Cala Llevado, and then this week, having driven south through Barcelona and onto the small seaside city of Sitges, where we connected with good friends, Andy and Kim. They were wrapping up their own European tour and chose Sitges for a few last days of relaxation by the sea – very nice to catch up with them, spend some time wandering the city and its famous sights, and also to enjoy some of Sitges’ notable culinary offerings.
In almost a week we did not go far !The road out of Cala Llevado was very windy; we followed this guy for quite a while, who, like us, was quite a long way from home ! Check the plate.Sitges old town main square.Sitges boardwalk at night.
Much smaller and less well known than its big brother, Barcelona( just 50 km away) but well-known to all the Spanish and recommended to us by many of them, Sitges was an excellent spot just to unwind in a low-key environment with friends. Sitges, described as “a coastal town, southwest of Barcelona, backed by the mountainous Parc Natural del Garraf. It is known for its Mediterranean beaches and seafront promenade lined with grand mansions. The compact old town and surrounding streets are filled with shops, restaurants, and many gay bars and nightclubs”. I’d say that, based on our time there, it’s a pretty apt description ! Indeed, lazy days by the pool, long beachside walks, and evenings spent wandering Sitges’ tourist-filled labyrinthine back streets filled all our days there.
Out with good friends, the Paterson’s with whom we linked up in Sitges.Very nice campground at Sitges, but…..….got sap on our van from the trees. A nuisance to remove !Sitges street scene, cool mural, artwork.Waterfront boardwalk, SitgesSitges’ iconic Church of St. Bartholomew and St. Thecla.
With much more of Spain’s Mediterranean coast still to explore we pointed our rig southwest and continued on – no real destination in mind, but rather to simply explore and settle for a few beachside days when we found somewhere appealing. Roaming around Spain so far we had been fortunate to come across a nice mix of good, safe freecamps, the occasional fully appointed conventional campground ( such as in Sitges and Cala Llevado), and more recently, what are known in Spain as “camper parks” ( there are thousands in France, called “Aires” ). The concept is explained here https://pro.campingcarpark.com/en/ . So it was that in searching through this site and our trusted park4night app that we came across an excellent camper park close to downtown Peniscola, just a few hours away from Sitges. In this case, it was the campsite that we were looking for, not so much the town itself, but upon arriving in Peniscola, we realized it is also a thriving beachside community with an impressive castle sitting on a high promontory overlooking the beach and the town itself.
The “aire” or “camping park” in Peniscola. Obviously NOT a full service campground, but flat, safe ( gated ), powered ( if needed ), with water loading and dumping facilities along with toilets and showers – just €12/night ( $13.50 US ). Just 10 mins walk to the beach. And, popular as you can see !
Probably a little more touristy than we generally like, but beggars can’t be choosers as they say, so we parked up here for a few nights, enjoyed the town, the beach ( the water still incredibly warm, even though we were well into the shoulder season ) and picked up some end of season bargains at the multitude of tourist stalls lining the steep walk to the castle.
Heading to the beach !View of Peniscola beach from the castle.Castle walls, Peniscola.Backstreet, Peñíscola.Castle walk, Peñíscola.
As relaxing, as it is to enjoy these places, and we have been enjoying them, there is some pretty impressive sightseeing on our route ahead and this good weather won’t hold up forever. From here the plan is to push on to Valencia, before heading inland towards Madrid, then across to northern Portugal, south along the Portuguese coast and ultimately back into southern Spain to explore the many attractions of Andalusia. Time to move on !
In much the same way that our first week back was a diversion from our original plans, so too was the second. Since we were already in Andorra, it dawned on us that we could rather conveniently spend a little time in Spain’s famous Costa Brava region, a region including part of the Spanish coast renowned for its stunningly beautiful bays, beaches, and bucolic fishing villages. The Costa Brava area is also inextricably associated with one of Spain’s most famous sons, the eccentric surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (though we would have a rather unexpectedly challenging time visiting the various memorials to him and his work).
Our moves over the past week.
Heading east from Cardona took us through Figueres and on to Girona, a small city known for its remarkably well-preserved medieval old quarter, colourful Onyar River houses, Jewish museum, and a rather large cathedral ( fans of Game of Thrones might recognize it since it was featured in the production – Girona Cathedral actually features the widest Gothic nave in the world).
View to Onyar River houses, Girona.Girona cathedral.Medieval era backstreets, Girona.Arched passageway, Girona old town.Drink time, Plaza Independencia, Girona.Passageway off the cathedral steps, Girona.
Girona’s a fascinating city to explore, easy to navigate and we were fortunate to be able to camp up within 10 minutes of the walled old city ( a rare luxury in Europe ). While Girona proved convenient for us, nearby Figueres was not so easy, unfortunate because the Dali museum is a big attraction we’d like to have seen. While Figueres is very popular, practically every parking option we looked at on our Park4Night bible indicated break-ins were common and to exercise extreme care while leaving your vehicle ( something one must watch for in certain places, especially in Itally and Spain ). Not wanting to risk that we simply drove on to Cadaques, the small white-washed coastal fishing village made famous by Dali’s many years in residence.
Cadaques. Dali’s home for many years.
Cadaques was indeed delightful, the camping easy, but yet another Dali ‘surprise’ was in store for us. His former home sits on the waterfront in a beautiful bay and is open for visitors to explore. Approaching the ticket booth we advised we’d like to visit. “What day ?”, we were asked. “Well, today if possible?” we replied (since we were standing in front of it). “Sorry, sir, first available viewing is on the 27th, will that work ?”. Considering it was only the 18th, no, it didn’t work ! Unfortunate, but the village itself was pretty, well worth the visit and the house impressive even just from the outside. Perhaps we had underestimated both the appeal of señor Dali and the fact that, being later in September it would be an easy “walk in” visit. Note to self !
Dali’s home on the waterfront.An historic photo of the eccentric Dali, pointing to his home across the bay, Cadaques.Fishing boats, Cadaques. We camped just behind this beach.
With a couple of days still up our sleeve before planned meet ups with the overlanding Hunter family from Alberta, and good friends Andy and Kim from Kelowna, we wound our way along the coast stumbling on what, for us anyway, was the prettiest spot on the Costa Brava – the small beach side town of Tamariu. A great campsite, perfect weather, and idyllic beach made for a memorable stop. Crystal clear warm Mediterranean water just added to the allure.
Absent any fixed future plans we’d have stayed longer, but were still happy to move on to Tossa de Mar where we linked up with the Hunters and their friends Rafa and Mariela from Barcelona. Probably the most impressive campsite we’ve stayed at, high upon a cliff with a great beach below, it was wonderful to share a couple of days there – the Hunters are planning to tackle the Western Africa overland route down to Cape Town, so it will be interesting to follow their adventures as they head south. See the images below of the Landcruiser Defender, in which they travel with their two teenage daughters.
Cala Llevado beach, from campsite. A steep walk down but worth the effort..!Caught up with Randy and Kyla Hunter ( and their daughters ) from Alberta. We’d met over the summer in the Okanagan.Kyla, inside the Defender. If you are wondering how two adults and two teenage girls live in this space, check this out ( it’s really impressive! ) https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cu7t1B0Ails/?stkn=MWtlcm16YmloeWcweQ==All of us, camped at Cala Llevado, near Barcelona. Always nice to connect with other overlanders on the road.
Next, we’ll travel on past Barcelona ( finally heading south ! ) to the historic city of Sitges where we plan link up with more old friends and explore that area.
Till next week…
Appendix:
Decided to fiddle around with ChatGPT and see if it could provide a humorous caricature of Lois and I travelling in our van ( too much time on my hands over the summer !). Dug up an old image of each of us ( mine from the “long hair” days in Australia 😉) and one for the van. It took a while to get it looking ok – some errors on the van ( roof rack, vehicle length ), and as well on each of us – but we thought the renditions of us were for the better ( so left them in 🤣🤣🤣)!
The one stop return flight from Kelowna to Barcelona was as quick and efficient as the one that brought us back to Canada in early May. Hard to imagine that four months have passed since then. One night at a hotel, for a good nights sleep ( that neither of us got on the plane !) and we were ready to pick up our van. I’d confess to there always being a little trepidation at such times – hoping it would be in good condition and wondering if it would it start immediately after such a long period of storage. We need not have worried on either count – apart from a thin layer of dust, certainly to be expected, the van looked exactly as we had left it. Reassuringly, all door locks opened upon pressing the key fob ( the tell-tale sign of a flat battery when they don’t – yes, we’ve experienced that ). A short jab on the start button and the big V6 settled into a nice smooth idle – bliss ! Our profuse thanks to Gonzalo and his partner Gallegos and we were on our way. Camped up not far away so we could do the necessary unpacking and packing and general clean, followed by a full-on grocery shop – becoming a set routine when we restart these trip segments it seems. By next morning we were ready to pick up where we’d left off in May.
Time to take our van. Just a layer of dust, otherwise, ready to rumble ! Lois here with Gallegos, whose company took care of our rig.Gallegos and Gonzalo’ primary business is the restoration and sale of classic Range Rovers. Apparently they are a hot commodity in Europe !
There had simply not been enough time to visit Barcelona‘s world famous Monastery of Montserrat back in May so made it our first port of call this time around. Perched high on a mountainside to the northwest of Barcelona, access is mostly by cable car or funicular rail. We chose the latter and enjoyed the expansive views as it climbed the steep ascent to the monastery. This is one place that did not disappoint. First built back in the 1025, it’s been well-preserved and expanded upon over the years. Not only is the basilica itself spectacular but the nearby museum contains extensive period jewellery and much famous art – works by Monet, Dali and Picasso among many others. A total bonus as far as we were concerned !
Our first week back and the route taken.The impressive Monastery of Montserrat, outside Barcelona.Approach to the basilica.Inside its basilica. Incredibly ornate.The nearby museum was just an added bonus, providing us with displays of art we’d not expected. Just one of many classics, this one, Carravaggio’s “Penitent St. Jerome”.
Before continuing south along the Spanish coast ( our original plan ) we decided that a short detour to ( ever so quaint ) Andorra was in order. Barely a 3 hour drive from the monastery through some scenic Spanish countryside, this little principality tucked high in the Pyrenees and wedged between Spain and France, had enchanted us so much during our first trip there ( while on our honeymoon ) that we followed up with a ski trip just 6 months later. Not sure why but there is just something in these kinds of tiny statelets that draws you in – Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Andorra ( just three remain in Europe ) – historically anomalous entities that seem to belong in a bygone era, yet still flourish today.
One of the prettier little local camp sites we have stayed at. Provided to visitors by the local council for up to two nights. We make a point to do all the shopping we can in these places when the municipality provides free, safe, well serviced camp sites. These were common in France, hopefully we’ll see more in Spain. The drive up to Andorra was scenic, providing us great rest areas. Here, lunching by a river.Yes, still hot in mid September !The crossing between Spain and Andorra was a non-event, The immigration guy asked us almost no questions, but was excited to tell us that he had been to Canada !
The few days in Andorra were idyllic. The weather was as perfect as you could want – clear skies, warm days and, importantly for those sleeping in a van, cool nights. We explored the shops in the a.m. and hiked in the afternoons, a couple of easy ones to start with around Lake Engolasters ( being a bit out of shape after too much of the good life during summer at home ! ). In a place where flat land is scarce, and traffic is heavy, we did well to find a couple of great, peaceful camp spots, albeit high in the mountains – a tortuous climb to reach them but the views and quiet solitude made up for it.
Views from above down to the towns of Andorra below.En route to Engolasters.A bell tower near where we camped. So picturesque !Rural buildings along the hiking path.It was not a difficult hike ( probably a good thing, being our first ) and passed through some quaint little settlements.Small waterfall on our hike to Lake Engolasters, Andorra.Lake Engolasters. The lake is only small, but quite pretty, and with an interesting past. – see next two imagesThe story of Lake Engolsters’ witches.Art work displayed at a cabin on the hike.
While the camping and hiking were nice, our time in Andorra coincided with a Catalunyan national holiday so all the Barcelonian’s were making a bee line for the place and the roads were jammed. In addition to its historical and physical attractions, Andorra’s long been a duty-free area. Locals advised us to stock up on everything we could here, prices being considerably lower than Spain or France. No further encouragement needed !
Being a tax free haven, Andorra offers great shopping for all kinds of things ( a huge selection of alcohol, not the least of it ! ).
Our shopping cravings and outdoorsy experiences sated it was time to decide where to go next. Straight down the Spanish coast and head to the beaches right away (plan A), or head to Girona and Cadaques on the Costa Brava for a little culture first ( plan B ). Plan B meant we just might also catch up with some old Kelowna friends who were passing through Barcelona at about the same time so that’s the route we went. Details to follow !
You can pass on this blog update if you are looking for the usual full fledged travel experience – it isn’t. Rather, just a quick update on our summer at home – a nice, long, hot one for the most part ! More travel “stuff” next week.
The aforementioned summer gave us much opportunity to enjoy all that our beautiful Okanagan valley has to offer. Sadly, some of that joy was tempered by several weeks of very serious wildfires just to the south and north of us which caused significant damage, days and days of horrendous air quality and tragically, one death ( seems it’s becoming the new normal ).
View from our home in normal conditions. For weeks on end this summer we could barely see beyond the first group of homes.
Fires aside, there was much on our plate; June saw the arrival of our beautiful second grandchild, adorable little Bowen, weighing in at a healthy 3.75kg ( 8lb 2 oz ). Both mum and baby are doing well, while dad and big sister, Hadley are enjoying much time with the new arrival ( as are the proud grandparents ! ). We’ve had a ton of time catching up with old friends, crossing paths with fellow overlanders ( see Appendix ), attending weddings and helping steer our daughter and her husband through the final stages of a new house build. Meanwhile we’ve all had lots of time together in our own home. It’s been delightful.
Before the fires, a lot of time with old friends by the lake !A little “Papa time” with our new grandson – he’s growing fast !And grandma ( “LoLo” ) out for a walk with Hadley ( who prefers to be pulled along ! ).Happy Birthday to yours truly, wonderful to be home and share it with the family.Saturday morning coffees at Sandrine became a fixture.A veritable doppelgänger of sorts ! Pulled up at our local mall and noticed this young Quebec couple with a van that was ( literally ) a duplicate of our own ( same model, same colour, same long wheel base version, same rims, same tires – even the black “wrap” on the hood was identical ! ). All in all I’d say they had great taste, lol !Catching up with old friends, Kim, Laura, Linda.Lucky we have a diesel – NOT ! Diesel now fully $1 more per litre than gasoline. The global diesel squeeze has seen Canadian diesel prices ( vs gasoline ) spike to never-before seen levels. At least the fuel price shock we normally feel in Europe won’t seem so bad when we return to Spain this time ( fuel in Spain cheaper than Canada ? Never ! Well, just maybe ! ).
Plans are starting to firm up for our next few months on the road (Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and on possibly to Morocco), although this next stretch will only be a short one as we are scheduled back in Canada in December to spend the Christmas season with our family, but also to welcome my own sister who will be joining us all the way from Australia ( via Europe where she’s been travelling ). We’ve not seen each other in almost 4 years and it is over 20 years since her last visit to Canada – we are all thrilled to be having her with us ! We’ll firm up our 2027 longer range plans later this year – more on that in the months ahead ( but looking at some interesting options).
Update on Some Local Overlanding Friends
Some months back I noted that, while parked up in Athens, we’d come across the stored Land Rover of the Hunter family from Grand Prairie, Alberta. This in itself is unusual, because one just doesn’t come across many Canadian-registered vehicles out there in the overlanding world, anywhere. We’d since connected with the Hunter’s and discussed our respective future plans so knew they were in Turkey about the same time as a former work colleague of mine, SheraLyn Smith ( and her hubby, Stewart ). The Smith’s had been motorcycling around Europe, and had recently crossed into Turkey. Anyway, as luck would have it, they bumped into each other at a campground in Turkey and discovered the common link ( us ! ). Talk about a small world ! With all of us planning to be back in Canada over the summer a get together was planned – in due course a most enjoyable afternoon and evening was spent by the lake, then out for dinner, sharing tales from the road and figuring out where and when our paths might cross again. Most serendipitous !
Shera-Lyn Smith, Lois and Kyla Hunter. Enjoyed an afternoon/evening with these guys comparing notes and planning out the upcoming year. The boys were enjoying a little lake time when the shot was taken.
In the past few years we’ve made contact ( and become friends ) with two other Kelowna couples, both of whom were itching to get vans built, careers completed and then hit the road ( this overlanding thing is contagious ! ). Congrats to Petra and Spencer who have completed their Sprinter build and this year kicked off what will be many years ahead of global roaming ( currently exploring northern BC and Alaska, before shipping to Europe ).
Petra, Lois and Petra’s partner, Spencer.
Congrats as well to Alex and Nadja who have just purchased a new Sprinter and are planning a comprehensive self-build before shipping off to Europe in ‘27. I’m sure our paths will cross somewhere ahead !
Alex, at the Mercedes dealership picking up the new rig.Our return to Barcelona. A nice, easy 9 hour flight.
Just one city remained on our itinerary before flying home to Canada, but it was one of Spain’s most visited – the Catalonian capital of Barcelona. As legendary as it is, Barcelona itself wasn’t a destination that was for us in any way pre-ordained, but rather the confluence of three very separate but fortuitous travel situations:
A perfect sailing day to Barcelona.
1. While looking for suitable flights out of Europe for the summer, we noticed that the Canadian airline, Westjet, had a great sale on flights ex Barcelona, with just one stop to Kelowna ( as direct as we can get ! ) – we grabbed two tickets.
2. Grimaldi shipping had an especially attractive ferry route/fare from Sardinia direct to Barcelona, saving us the considerable time, hassle and expense of an otherwise long drive (1,420km) around the north shore of the Mediterranean from Rome to Barcelona
3. And, finally, through sheer serendipitous happenstance, we were connected ( by a Canadian contact ) with a Barcelona vehicle broker who was able to offer us secure, covered, and affordable storage for the van during the 4 months we would be in Canada.
So it just seemed that everything pointed to Barcelona as the best place to park up and fly out of – the fact that it’s also a very beautiful city to visit was just icing on the cake.
Renowned for its art and architecture ( most famously, Gaudi’s Sagrada Família) Barcelona has become a hugely popular tourism destination in Europe. I mean hugely popular. To put its popularity in perspective and demonstrate just how absolutely completely overwhelmed the place is by tourists, an estimated 30 million people visit Barcelona each year, while Spain’s capital, Madrid ( twice Barcelona’s size ) sees barely 1/3 of that. Readers may recall the ant-tourism protests here back in the summer of 2025, where angry locals protested the impact tourism was having on the city by squirting water pistols at tourists as they marched through the city streets shouting, and waving “Tourists Go Home” placards ! Yes, it REALLY happened. Rents had skyrocketed pricing local families and ( essential ) service workers out of the accommodation market, AirBnB’s were proliferating, traffic had become insane and it all just boiled over. Other European cities saw similar protests but I guess the Barcelona water pistol activities just got most of the attention. Seems to have calmed now ( we were not squirted ! ) but the problems remain. Tourism here certainly has not slowed down.
Gaudi’s “Casa Batllo”.
Luckily we’d seen the major attractions ( Sagrada Familia, etc ) on our first visit here in 1985 as locals informed us there is often a two week wait for reservations ( so one needs to book well in advance – never our style anyway ! ). We did walk past it while exploring the city on the only sightseeing day we had here and noticed the crowds were huge, lineups long ( and it’s only May ). Sadly, very visible cranes somewhat diminished the photo ops, but it remains a stunning structure.
Much of what defines this city is the unique architecture, especially the Gaudi-inspired modernist work ( the Sagrada, Park Guell, Casa Battlo and others ), but also the beautiful apartment buildings on the long leafy boulevards (practically every street here is tree-lined), and it’s famous landmarks. We thought Italian cities had lots of cafe’s and restaurants – Barcelona is right up there ! It’s a city with a great vibe, easy to get around, and very pedestrian friendly. We look forward to returning when we’ll have a bit more time.
Typical of the beautiful Barcelona apartments all over the city. Another.Side street near plaza Catalunya.
Much of our (already limited) time in the city was spent preparing the van for storage -cleaning it, emptying the service tanks, shutting off power supplies etc – and getting it out to the storage location west of the city. This all went to plan and we feel comfortable that our “home away from home” will be well cared for in our absence. Finding covered storage was a real godsend as summers are typically very hot here.
We seem to spend a lot of time in these places !Getting the van ready for 4 months of storage.Our hotel was located near Gava beach, nice for coastal walks but a bit cold for swimming.
Our van secured, some brief sightseeing completed, we made our way to Barcelona airport for the flight home to Kelowna ( via Calgary ) – incredibly convenient to be able to reach Kelowna in just one “hop” from here, certainly not what we expected. Always a tinge of sadness as we leave the rig in storage, tempered though, by the excitement of going home. Where did the last 4 months go ?
Locked and loaded – see you in September !
This being the final blog post for the current chapter of our European/Mediterranean travels, both Lois and I would like to thank all readers who have followed along for the past 4 months. Stay safe, enjoy the summer months, we plan to be back at it again in September and ( for those out traveling ) I hope our paths cross at some point down the road !
One might think that pristine Cala Goloritze (beach) would be a tough act to follow, but Sardinia’s northeast coast had even more in store. This was, after all, the most famed part of the island and Sardinia’s Costa Smerelda ( Emerald Coast ) lay just ahead of us – some Germans we’d met even suggested we spend most of our time right here.
In fact it’s probably one of the most scenic areas of the island with a continuous line of bays, beaches, beautiful little towns and even a high mountain pass ( the views from which were very impressive ). Trekking north we passed by Orosei ( known for its historic old town and nearby marble mine ) and the bigger centre of Olbia. For us the most picturesque town was Palau, jumping off point for the Maddelena islands and just an excellent base for travels in this part of Sardinia. The Maddalena islands were certainly worthy of the ferry trek over there but we were disappointed by the lack of camping options – the only commercial campground had been closed by the local authorities and signs everywhere made it clear that wild camping was not a wise plan. Our Park4Night app listed several recent cases where campers were given heavy fines. Odd, because we were here out of season and had not experienced this before in Italy ( and only rarely in Europe generally ).
Near Cala Fuili beach….….where the water was nice and warm but the rocks were slippery !Beginning of the Emerald Coast ( north eastern Sardinia ).Marble mining near Orosei.Beach near Palau.La Maddelena town.La Maddelena islands.La Maddelena islands.Pretty Castellsardo.
If the Maddalena islands were a bit underwhelming ( more the circumstances than the location itself ), our next stop ( highly recommended by a crew member on the ferry to Sardinia ) really took our breath away. La Pelosa is a silky white sand beach with shallow crystal clear warm waters, and, on the days we spent there, was set against the most vibrant blue sky – not a cloud to be seen. Magnificent ! It actually also featured in the previously mentioned “World’s 50 Best Beaches 2025”, although it was well down from the top. Surprising, because we would’ve put it right up there with Carla Goloritze – ahead of it, in fact, if one factors in accessibility ( you can drive right up to this one ! ). Making those two days even more pleasant was the fact that, just 5kms away was a municipally provided wild camping location right on another beach, this one replete with a cosy little beach bar run by a charming Brazilian/Italian fellow. Unsurprisingly it was a very popular layover and our only regret was not finding it until the very end of our Sardinia experience.
Selfie, La Pelosa.Coastline near La Pelosa.La Pelosa.La Pelosa.Beach bar near La Pelosa campsite.Last beach day in Sardinia 😟
With just a day left before our ferry from Porto Torres to Barcelona, we took a brief detour down the west coast to riverside Bosa, one of Sardinia’s real hidden gems (according to an Instagram source). Certainly a “gem” it was but given we caught the last day of their annual beer festival it most definitely was not “hidden” ! The place was packed with locals and tourists alike filling its bars and restaurants. It’s extremely colorful and the old town is exceptionally well kept, with the riverside setting just adding to the ambience and proving Sardinia is not just all beaches.
Sardinia has probably been our favourite Mediterranean island and we’re certainly glad we made the effort to get here. It was a long 12 hour car ferry ride in from Sicily and leaving involves an even longer 14 hour car ferry ride out to Barcelona, in Spain.
Our ferry to Spain. A fourteen hour slog !Farewell to Sardinia !
Remnants of WW2 bomb damage still remain in Cagliari as well.
Seems to be a bit of a pattern emerging – every time we arrive on a supposedly idyllic Island, the weather ( initially, at least ) is less than ideal. First in Sicily, and now in Sardinia it was a rocky start weatherwise, being cooler, cloudier, and rainier than one would like. Fortunately, just as it did in Sicily, things turned quickly for the better and the rest of our first week here proved to be ideal holiday/travelling weather. That was fortunate because it seemed that in the week leading up to our arrival, all we got on our Instagram feeds were stunning video clips of Sardinia‘s “must-see” towns, landscapes, and especially it’s legendary beaches. We had taken note of these and created both a list of places we wanted to visit and a crude itinerary for determining the order in which we would do so. The beaches featured prominently 🌞.
Nice view from the marina on on our first nights in Sardinia. And just 20 minutes walk into the city.
Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari, was our port of arrival and starting point for our exploring. It’s one of those places where excellent wild camping ( or rather, wild “parking” ) exists right by the port and so for the first couple of nights we based ourselves there, along with a half a dozen or so other European campers. Nice to go to sleep with the waves lapping at the shore and to wake up and start your day with a beautiful Italian cappuccino or hot chocolate from the excellent little coffee shop across the street. While Cagliari is a pleasant enough city to wander around, and conveniently small, apart from a few historic buildings and a famous church there was not a lot to see there. Most people don’t stay long and nor did we.
Bastione di Saint Remy, a famous Cagliari landmark.
Heading immediately west took us thorough pleasant Pula, Chia and onto the quasi island city of San Antioch. Some great little coastal hikes and interesting lookouts along the way and it was here we began to see the nice beaches that the island is so famous for. Not its most stunning ( yet ) by a long shot, but pretty by any standards. The water is just so clean and clear here, which surprised us given that the Med is an enclosed sea surrounded by heavily populated countries, usually a recipe for at least some pollution. We saw no evidence of any.
A short but worthwhile hike up to the headland at Chia revealed first of many of Sardinia’s beaches. The coastline got prettier as we drove further around towards San Antioch before heading inland.
From the southwest of Sardinia we changed course and headed back east across the rugged interior of the island – a different kind of scenery, with lots of small, remote villages when we went off the beaten track a few times. This part of the island just felt very different, but by the time we hit the east coast things looked familiar again.
In the interior of Sardinia. Pretty vineyards…..…quaint little towns,some historic ruins,…great mountain/valley vistas, and,…nice morning tea pullouts as we crossed the mountainous interior !
A couple of nights were spent camped at pretty coastal towns ( Arbatax and Santa Maria Navarresse ), the latter from which we booked an all day boat excursion to take in some otherwise difficult to access Baunei coast beaches. One in particular, Cala Goloritze, had only last year been voted “The World’s # 1 Beach”. This, we decided (since we were so close) we had to see, however forecast high winds meant we had to cancel the boat access option. Not to give up, there was another possibility – hiking it, a 7.2km excursion with an almost 500m elevation gain/descent over pretty rough terrain. Probably something we should NOT have done, but we did and got to see ( and swim in ) the 2025 World’s Best Beach. It was, indeed, spectacularly beautiful, but I’m not sure I would rank it number one given we’ve seen a few others that would more than match it. The blisters and aches after the strenuous hike also diminished some of its beauty in our mind at least !
A couple of nice days were spent at the beautiful little coastal town of Santa Maria Navarrese. Here, at a restaurant on the beach there.With an excellent and spacious camp site there was opportunity for a thorough van clean, one of those unpleasant necessities of van travel !Great coastal beach walks in the area.Coastal shot.When we saw this sign, we decided we just had to go – one way or another !The hard facts, laid out at the beginning of the Cala Goloritze hike.On the track.Half way down and the ocean still seemed a long way away !But worth it when we arrived.Selfie time.On the beach. Some better aspects in the video at the bottom of the blog.The reward at the end !
As much as we were impressed with Sicily’s offerings in our first week, we knew there was even more ahead as our travels moved onto the western side of the island.
The Valley of the Temples is a spectacular Greek-era ruin located just east of the city of Agrigento. It’s somewhat ironic that some of the best Roman ruins are in Greece and some of the top Greek ruins are located in Italy, but that’s a pretty good testament to how various civilizations evolved centuries ago, with one side seizing (and then losing) control of another’s territory, followed ( quite often ! ) by a complete reversal of those fortunes. This particular location sits high up on a ridge and its imposing structures are visible from miles away as you approach, its beauty enhanced by the well-manicured Italian garden in which it stands. Impressive ! The wonderful little beachside campsite at nearby Scala Dei Turchi ( a sight in itself ) just made for an excellent stay in Agrigento.
Valley of the Temples, Agrigento.Ditto.More Valley of the Temples.Scala Dei Turchi ( Turkish Stairs ).Scala Dei Turchi (from the west ).Selfie.San Vito Lo Capo. Turquoise water and sheer verdant mountain backdrop reminded us of Tahiti.
Continuing west took us through some of Sicily’s major agricultural regions – flatter and generally less mountainous than the east, it also made for more relaxed driving. Our route followed the coast ( mostly ) passing Marsala and Trapani with the exceptionally pretty little coastal town of San Vito Lo Capo being our next port of call. Like so much of the Sicily we have seen so far, the coastal waters are a shimmering turquoise and exceptionally clear. This place is a hotspot in summer and was already quite busy when we arrived in early April. It’s got some of the whitest sand beaches on the island and is set against a sheer mountain backdrop – postcard stuff ! While the water was still a little cool at first ( despite the sunny weather ), here the water was just too tempting to stay away from. Always a bonus when the camping is good and the wild camping just south of the town was probably our favourite so far in Sicily – we spent a couple of very enjoyable days there just relaxing. I’ll let the pictures below tell the story.
San Vito Lo Capo.Snorkeling area where we camped, san Vito Lo Capo.Ditto.Sunsets were beautiful.Wild camped with about 8 others along the beach.The beauty of a large sliding door – inside/outside camping .On our way to Palermo we enjoyed a one night stopover in pretty Castellammare del Golfo, as idyllic a little port town as you will find.Palermo’s impressive cathedral.Villa Bonnano, garden – Palermo.Historic church of Santa Maria dell Ammiraglio, with its ornate gold mosaics. Its history dates to the 1100’s and bears influence from Greeks, Albanians, the Normans and even the muslims who ruled here for a period.Ditto.Incredible as it seems, parts of Palermo still have unrepaired bomb damage from WW2. Saw several on Victor Emmanuel avenue.Our last sight in Palermo was the somewhat macabre “catacombs”. Dating back hundreds of years, one walks among the corpses of many hundreds of the deceased. Here, Lois is about to walk past the point beyond which you cannot take photographs. Quite eerie ! Click on the word “catacombs” if you must see what it looks like in there!Lines up for the ferry. A full 12 hour sail to Sardinia 😴😴😴The Europe Palace, a very nice ship, but a long journey.
Any hopes that our recent run of rather inclement weather might be over by the time we reached Sicily were quickly dashed – no sooner had we boarded the ferry for the short crossing from Calabria to Messina in Sicily’s northeast, than the rains started again. The morning had briefly looked somewhat promising but as we drove off the ferry into the crowded streets of Messina, it was raining heavily enough to dash any hopes we had of some sightseeing around the city. Beyond Messina, the plan for Sicily was pretty straightforward – start in the northeast of the island and head clockwise around it, taking in as many of the sights and attractions as we could, ending up in Palermo on Sicily’s northwest before taking another ferry on to Sardinia, the timing of which gave us almost 2 weeks here and just over two weeks there. With Messina somewhat of a write-off we headed directly south for one of Sicily‘s big drawcards, the historic coastal city of Taormina.
Our route around eastern Sicily, which ended at the famous Roman-era mosaic site of Villa Romana Del Casale.
The drive south was a real nailbiter with the “highway” ( and I use the word very loosely ! ) at many times, running right through the middle of some very small towns where there was just enough room to pass vehicles coming the other way ( should you ever come to Italy, rent the SMALLEST car you can find ! ). Henceforth we will be taking the autostrada a little more often ! An old stomping ground of famed Irish poet Oscar Wilde, Taormina has attracted visitors for centuries – on the day we were there two large cruise ships were docked so the streets were absolutely packed. Good for the ambience, but made getting around somewhat challenging. Fortunately, by the time we arrived, the rains had eased.
Taormina’s main street. A mix of historic buildings, boutique hotels and restaurants, and high end designer stores.Very crowded – and this is in April !Italian canoli- delicious !
Taormina sits high up on a cliff with breathtaking views up and down the coast. Camping is next to impossible in the town so we parked south of the city in nearby Giardini Naxos, and it was here we met a couple of quite remarkable Canadians travelling around in a van like ourselves. I say remarkable because Wendy and Graham are 80 and 81 respectively and have been roaming the globe in different overland vehicles for much of the last 20 years. They head home to Canada for part of the year , storing their van in various locations around Europe and other parts of the world as needed. Fascinating couple, and they shared some interesting tales from the road with us in our short time together. They were headed off to Greece, ironically to store their vehicle at the very same place we had used just a month earlier.
Graham and Wendy, from Nova Scotia in Canada ( though the vehicle is from Ontario ). Still travelling the world by van at 80 and 81 with no plans to slow down any time soon.
With the exception of one last day of poor weather ( which ruined our visit to Mt. Etna), the rest of our first week in Sicily saw the weather ( finally ) improve – bright sunshine greeted us in each of gritty Catania, stylish Syracuse, historically baroque Noto, and also while admiring the amazing Roman-era mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale. When you have missed the sun for a while, it’s amazing what sunny weather does to replenish your travel energy !
Unfortunately Mt. Etna was fogged in when we visited ( and the snow was deep ). We had the same problem viewing Stromboli just before coming to Sicily ( seems we have no luck with volcanoes ). We would at least see many nice views of Mt. Etna’s smoking volcano from various points further along in south eastern Sicily.The bad weather seems to have cleared for a while – looking awesome in the coming week.Downtown Catania. The historic centre is impressive but it’s rough around the edges. I saw it described as “gritty”. Apt !Why small is best in Italy. The ability to park sideways is useful – we saw this everywhere. Double parking is a national pastime here.Catania’s “Centro Historico”.Piazza Del Duomo, Catania.View of Mt Etna from our campground, Catania, seen from the southeast. It’s always smoking.Fountain in Piazza Archimedes, Syracuse.Stylish Syracuse, definitely a place for the well-heeled. Here, a shot standing on the bridge to Isola DI Ortigia, Syracuse’s historic, and now more fashionable and very touristy neighbourhood.Ancient city gate to Ortigia island, Syracuse.As soon as the weather turns, Italians flock to the beach, no matter how small ! Here, by Ortigia island in Syracuse. The water everywhere along the Italian coast has been amazingly clear.Backstreet, Syracuse.The baroque town of Noto. Here, the Porta Reale, marking the historic entrance to the city.Cathedral di San Nicolo, Noto.While we have ( so far ) had no problems buying diesel, it has become way more expensive than gasoline/petrol and some stations are occasionally out of diesel ( never out of petrol ). The sign says “Petrol Only”.A very nice “agricamp” stay near Ragusa/Modica. Farmers make their land available and provide many of the same facilities as campgrounds. Very quiet, flat and safe with a beautiful view over Ragusa.Just one of the many amazing Roman-era mosaics displayed at Villa Romana del Casale.More of same. And we thought the bikini was a modern thing !At this time of the year the fields were a patchwork of colour all across the island.Nice…but a bit too cold for Lois just yet ! The beach at our campsite in Licata.A beautiful beachside camping spot near Licata, run as a support business for a kite surfing school.
In addition to its natural beauty, one of the added benefits of travel in Sicily is that the cities are small and everything is so close – nice to be spending more time “doing” and “seeing” and much less time driving !
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
